When you are passionate about your products, it stands to reason that you have now gotten to the point where you want to share them with buyers in the global marketplace. 

Expanding internationally has the potential to provide 24/7 product availability, targeted marketing to segmented groups of customers, and the ability to engage with shoppers from all over the world with flexibility and scalability.

With that in mind, it probably comes as no surprise that spreading your wings beyond your borders involves more than merely signing up with the best ecommerce payment provider and configuring your systems to accept multi-currency transactions. 

As with any endeavor that is worthwhile, expanding your business in this way in 2024 involves some serious forethought, analysis, navigation, and hard work.

Start small.

Marketing goods and services in other countries is not the same as accomplishing this task in your homeland. 

Each location and region has its own unique regulatory and legal structure, culture and customs that will have a drastic effect on how you sell, to whom you market, and with whom you partner in each area.

That’s why you should start slow and exercise caution at every step. Instead of making your entire product catalog available, begin with just a few of the items that you have good reason to believe your international customers want or need. 

This intelligence comes from running analytics of your potential customers and your competitors. Don’t assume that what works here at home will be equally successful everywhere else.

Your next step involves providing buyers with multiple ways to pay. The methods people prefer in China, for example, are quite different from how they want to buy their products in Germany or Brazil. 

As a result, it is important to talk with your payment processing company about configuring your systems according to your particular client preferences.

Then decide which international shipper you want to use. Become familiar with the added duties and tariffs you will be expected to pay so that you can be fully transparent about end costs with your customers. 

Establishing and maintaining your integrity is important whether you are doing business locally or online, but never is it more essential than when you accept international payments.

Take steps to enhance your international customers’ shopping experience.

Now that you have established yourself as an international ecommerce seller, you have the underpinnings of a dynamic business that has the potential to continue expanding. 

In order for this to happen, however, you need to overcome the biggest obstacle that all international sellers encounter: creating a seamless buying journey that is as smooth and comfortable as shopping locally. This is no small task.

Successful companies get beyond this barrier by doing a number of things. First, they adapt their website and its content with the unique characteristics of local customers in mind. 

That includes customizing photos, language, text, ads, and videos. Enlisting the assistance of local experts can aid you in giving your site and the information it contains the genuine feel your customers will immediately register and appreciate.

Next, study the culture, customs and holidays of the region where you are selling. You can then fashion your merchandise and promotions to meet the priorities of your customers.

Finally, provide your international customers with some of the same payment opportunities that your home clients already use, i.e., Google Pay or a one-page checkout format. 

Making the purchasing process better than what any of your competitors currently furnish can help to boost your credibility with international buyers who may have initially been reluctant to entrust you with their money.

Optimize your international customer service for the long run.

You have made it through the testing stage and have succeeded in setting up an international beachhead. Your final priority is to take the last steps that will cement your business as an international presence for the long term.

Doing so means establishing yourself as the primary, go-to source for your particular products and services for your international customers. In order for this to happen, you need to first find ways to shorten shipping and delivery times, thus bridging the gap between your company and local sellers. 

Now that you have more resources and contacts on the ground, it’s time to find local distributors and warehouses for your products so that buyers can get what they want just as quickly from you as they would from a company in-country.

Another way to combat those long shipping times is to start to embrace innovative product models, including online-to-offline and “try on in-store.” 

These enable you to take orders on your ecommerce site that can be fulfilled in-country by your local staff. The result is a direct, face-to-face product experience and lower shipping costs.

Finally, take a long look at each and every one of your work processes to learn what can be streamlined and automated. Especially because you may be operating in different languages and time zones, attempting to put out every fire on your own can be time-consuming and confusing. 

In worst case scenarios, delays and misunderstandings can lead to confusion, frustration, dissatisfaction, and lost business. Using automated tools that take care of invoicing and can even be tasked with answering basic questions and triaging more complex ones for your attention can lead to the immersive, personalized experience your customers are demanding. 

Simultaneously, your operations can move more smoothly, leaving you and your staff free to grow your company and find new ways to please your customers.

Digital technologies have made it possible for companies of all sizes to create a unique brand and advertise their products and services around the globe. That being said, success is not guaranteed. 

It only comes to those who take the time to understand their international customer base and who then adjust their practices, products, and procedures accordingly. In 2024 and beyond, international ecommerce will continue to grow in scope and popularity. 

Take the time to establish a solid sales ecommerce infrastructure, and you too can reap the rewards.